My Brian, My Cellmate

Brian and I have been in the hospital together for 19 days now.

Brian has missed only a couple of nights of hospital couch sleeping (for work travel), but otherwise this has been my view when I wake up nearly every morning.

I know most people know our story, but it began a lot further back in time than the mere seven years we've been married, or the couple of years we dated before that.

This is the man I met in August 1981 shortly before I started high school, who was the little brother of my brother's best friend, David.

I found the diary where I wrote "Met Brian M. today. He's cute!" on that day 26 years ago when I was just 14.

Little did I know then the long road we would take to date (we dated off and on, beginning my senior year in high school), then 10 years later we dated again. Little did I know that I'd finally get to marry this man as we did in 2000.

Little did we know the trials and troubles we'd go through to have a baby. Like most people, we just figured we'd start a family when we were ready to, and that it would be oh-so-easy.
Instead, here we are five years after our first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, finally expecting a baby that everyone expects to make it, who appears healthy, despite the fact that my body has an apparent need to make everything difficult.

Brian has been my rock through all this. As my Mom says "He's loyal, faithful and true."

While some might wonder about him for driving halfway across the state in one night to be with me only to leave for work the next morning -- I also realize that it's harder for him NOT to be here. And with each passing day he and I both know that the birth of our baby is that much closer, that much more likely...and he doesn't want to miss that either.

I still look at this guy and feel so lucky to have finally married him. He is truly the love of my life, and I realize that as he stands by me and helps me so willingly, that he loves me that much too.

Thank you, Brian.